DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Details of the stabilization work for the observation tower at Potawatomi State Park have not been determined, and until that’s done, there’s no timeline for the work or a cost estimate, the DNR said Wednesday.
The 75-foot tower was constructed in 1931. It was closed in 2017 due to concerns about the structural integrity of the tower. Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed state budget includes funds for a restoration of the tower with a helical ramp addition to make it handicapped accessible. If approved this summer in the budget, that work is expected to start in 2025.
With concerns about the state of the tower, earlier this week, Gov. Evers authorized up to $500,000 be spent to stabilize the tower to make sure it lasts until the long-term project can start.
Terry Bay, director of facilities and lands for the DNR, says the governor’s emergency declaration lets the state bypass the normal bidding process. GRAEF, the engineering firm which has been consulting on the project, will be hired to design and build the stabilization project.
While the short-term work may be something which could be incorporated into the long-term work, that hasn’t been decided yet – noting GRAEF isn’t under contract yet.
“It is just an emergency order to, again, temporarily shore or brace the tower. We would look to do anything we could as part of that work to make it, you know, part of the future project, but that future project hasn’t been approved yet,” Bay said.
Because the scope of the work hasn’t been determined, it’s also too early to say when the work will start, how long it will take, or how much it will cost. The $500,000 approved by the emergency order is a maximum amount which could be spent but is not necessarily indicative of the actual budget, he said.
Once the temporary bracing work is done, the tower will remain closed to visitors.
“We don’t see it being stable enough to allow the public up the tower. However, as we go through the project, we definitely will look for that opportunity, but the initial reports that were completed, there’s just too much of the tower that would have to be repaired, and we don’t see that fitting within this budget, Bay said.
A similar tower at Peninsula State Park was rebuilt with a ramp. It opened in 2021.
